“If you look at our team now, we have four girls averaging double digits, and she’s a big part of that,” Ellefson said. “She’s distributing the ball, trusting her teammates to make shots and make plays, and she doesn’t have to do it all.”

Perhaps nothing illustrates this shift better than her highest-ranking stat this season through the Red Knights’ first 20 games: 88 assists, landing her in the state’s top 15. Her scoring average: 13 points.

“She’s found much more joy in winning games and being involved in a team than I think she ever has,” Ellefson said.

Her basketball story isn’t over.

McGee committed to Creighton last October, after the Bluejays stuck with her through her injury.

“You can tell that they care a lot about basketball, but they also care about their kids more than everything else,” she said. “They have a sense of family over there.”